Interesting enough I have been thinking about this due to te fact that I have started to create a new sat tracking software package for amateur use. I have evaluated all software but found most of them somewhat outdated, incompatible with my wishes and as a OS X user with my preferred OS.

Personally I am somewhat disappointed that a lot of software is Windows only (sorry guy's including the FC dashboard) and I am making it platform independent.

One of the issues is that it is hard to get started with satellites due to the fragmented and often outdated information. One of those is the issue discussed here. I have not looked into the XML format yet and I have to dig a bit more into it so I will not comment just yet.

The only thing I can think of just now is a way to distinguish between 'moving' and geostationary objects as for those there is no Doppler.

I also would like mention that I'm interested in spending some time to get this supported into my software and if appreciated to create or help with the online database spoken about in this discussion.

To keep a central database with actual (cube)sat info is not easy.So I think the database can be up 2 date if more people can give their (actual) information with a minimum of 1 control 'partner'.I mean a user will bring in data of a sat like, Freq - FSK mode - pictures, weblinks, used applicatons etc.The information will get the ' draft' state and need to be 'checked' by another HAM sat spotter.If so he/she can send the confirm button, with a realtime spot(picture) or actual kiss file.

In this way of working you can check also if an 'older' sat is out of order or is changed by frequency.

The main information on the database screen must have enough data to use for beginner and 'professional' radio HAM to collect the sat data.In basic the TLE, received frequencies and modes, link to hardware builder, picture , a sample sound (if recorded), a visual picture of the (SDR) datastream.It will be great if the database can ask the user his/her QTH locator and from this start(view)point the sats who are in the ground-track area will be shown.Another great thing this wil be a up 2 date LTE file with al the active ' Oscar sats' and sats with TX equipment on board to give the user easy selection to make a choice from.

To fill the information in the database you have to register to the database manager.To get the information it will be free for everyone.

At last .. if the database is in use.. apps will be send their results direct to the database in standard (kiss) format .. so hardware of school students can collect their started data in the database.This as start .. if you have more ideas you can give your own feeling about the use and build of a central (cube)sat database.

I think the development should be requirement driven, so we need to find the 'customers' who will define the requirements.

Are there any reading this topic?

If there are, i hope they can formulate their specific use-case. After we have a few use cases, we could define an interface for providing this data.

Please feel free, to specify any preferences in format, json, xml, others? Please specify frequency of retrieval, and if the interface query is in bulk (all), subset or individual satellite.Also please specify your data requirements in order of importance.